Diane Gould Dance Classes

That was the idea that drove our small group of seniors to rock and roll lessons and what a good idea it was. Not only are we learning to rock and roll, we are keeping fit and meeting new people at the same time.

Diane Gould runs various dance classes from the Yokine Bowling Club and the Osborne Park Bowling Club including beginner and improver classes. Diane has five Australian dance titles and 26 state titles in rock and roll, swing jive and West Coast swing as well as a history of winning competitions in salsa, Meringue, cha and mambo.

Classes include new vogue and sequence dancing, swing jive, cha cha and of course rock and roll.

We joined the Rock and Roll beginners group for a six-week course. Participants do not have to sign up for the whole course – it is pay as you go at a rate of $15 per class. Evening classes begin at 7pm.

Diane is an excellent teacher – demonstrating the steps and making sure that everyone practices and is up to speed before moving onto the next set of steps. Diane uses a headset microphone and all instructions can be clearly heard. The dance class works on a partner rotation system so singles are welcome. Diane also offers waltz and quickstep classes for couples.

Although there are a few younger dancers, most of the group are seniors who love to dance.

So how about making a New Year resolution to learn to dance? Grab a towel, a bottle of water, head off to Yokine or Osborne Park and enjoy!

Originally from Edinburgh in Scotland, my husband and I moved to New Zealand with our children in 1974. As my husband is in the oil business, we moved to several other countries including the Sultanate of Oman, the Netherlands, Singapore, the Philippines, the USA, Russia and Kazakhstan during the next 36 years before retiring to Perth.

We have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who live in different parts of the globe – New Zealand, Scotland and Colombia - which makes a great excuse for us to travel and visit.

My career background is in radio and print journalism in Scotland and New Zealand as well as public relations in various other countries.

We love to eat out, walk, travel and enjoy the wonderful lifestyle here in Western Australia.